Hemmed article and method of making the same



May 27, 1952 J ENOS 2,598,638

HEMMED ARTICLE AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed April 28, 1949 1. flffazna y Patented May 27, 1952 UNITED" STATES PATENT OFFICE HEMMED ARTICLE AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME John P. Enos, Union, N. J assignor to The Singer Manufacturing Company, 'Elizabeth, N. J a corporation of New Jersey Original application February 20, 1948, Serial No. 9,678. Divided and this application April 28, 1949, Serial No. 90,070

' 4 Claims. (01. 112262) 1 This invention relates to improvements in hemmed articles and methods of making the same. An attachment designed to be applied to a family sewing machine to adapt the machine automatically to make hemmed articles as shown in this application and to performthe hereinafter described method, forms the subject of my pending United States patent application Serial No. 9,678, filed February 20, 1948, of which this application is a division. It is to be understood, however, that the articles may be made, and the method may be performed, by other means or, if desired, by hand, and that therefore the invention disclosed and claimed in this application is not dependent upon the attachment disclosed in the parent application.

Inasmuch as the articles disclosed in this application are products of the method herein described and claimed, and as the performance of the method necessarily produces the articles, it is obvious that the articles and the methods are one and the same invention.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide an improved folded and stitched hem for articlesof wearing apparel, and other articles, in which the stitches which secure the hem to the body of the article willbe either completely hidden at the outer side of the article or will appear only inconspicuously at widely spaced intervals, dependent upon the thickness of the work.

Another objectof the invention is to provide an improved method of making a folded and stitched hem as above described.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved method of making a folded and stitched hem which may be performed either by hand or by a conventional sewing machine.

Drawings depicting the improved hemmed articles and the steps comprising the method of producing the hems are annexed and form a part of this disclosure.

In the drawings, Fig. l is a sectional perspective view of a relatively thin workpiece folded in substantially Z-shape with one marginal portion thereof extending beyond the fold-edge proximate thereto and showing, in dotted lines, the marginal portion folded back to place the edge portion thereof between the fold-plies.

Fig. 2 is a sectional perspective view showing the folded workpiece disclosed in Fig. 1 as having the hem fold thereof stitched in accordance with the present invention, the lower portion of the figure showing the workpiece as it is folded and stitched, and the upper portion of the figure showing the body portion of the workpiece turned over to the right to ekpose the outer face of the hemmed article. 7

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2 showing the hem-attaching stitches passing through two of the superimposed plies back of the fold-edge and thus appearing on the outer face of the work as shown in the upper portion of Fig. 2. r I

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but with thicker material and with the marginal portion projecting straight beyond the fold-edge and not turned back between the fold-plies as in Fig, 1.

Fig. 5 is a sectional perspective view of the material shown in Fig. 4 and showing the fold-edge attached at intervals to the projecting marginal portion of the workpiece by blind stitches.

.Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional viewtaken on the line 65' of Fig. 5 showing one of the lateral stitches as formed in the fold-edge and anchoring-the fold-edge to the projecting marginal portion of the workpiece and the connecting straightaway stitches formed solely in the marginal'portion.

Referring first'to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 the workpiece wis folded into flat Z-shape, comprising plies I, 2 and 3, and the projecting marginal portion m of the ply I is folded back, as indicated by the arrow as, and the free edge m thereof is inserted between the fold-plies I and 2. With the plies thus folded groups or lines of straightaway stitches s are formed through the folded marginal portion m closely adjacent and parallel to the fold-edge 6 connecting the fold-plies 2 and 3.

Intermediate each two adjacent groups of straightaway stitches there is formed one or more lateral stitches t through the fold-edge e, the marginal portion m, and the ply I. These lateral stitches anchor the fold-edge e to the marginal portion m and secure the edge portion m thereof between the fold-plies l and 2. In material which has sufficient thickness to enable the needle to split it, the stitches 25 may be made in the fold-edge e as shown in Fig. 4 without passing through to the opposite side of the ply 3. When the material is relatively thin the stitches t may pass through the plies 3 and 2 and appear at the outer face of the article when it is opened out, as indicated in the upper portion of Fig. 2. These stitches t, however, are small and are located at widely spaced intervals and are, therevention. 7 As shown in tion m has a salvage.

"in Fig. 4 straightaway stitches s are formed iiij stitches, one or more lateral stitches t are formed through the fold-edge e and the V 7 the fold-edge tothe body material:-

After the workpiece has been folded as shown the marginal portion m closelyyadjacent andl' parallel to the fold-edge e'andat'spacedintervals connected by a plurality of the straightaway The workpiece illustrated Figs. 4, 5 and 6 is somewhat thicker thanthat illustrated in Eigsr? 1, 2 and 3 and thereforej-the stitches't may enter 20 1 and mer e from th ome side of the fold-edge i th utras iig thr t Q ii t' facbf the workpiece so that no'stitches willappear at the euter a e o e com l a fi l 'Af hemmed article comprising a body ma- 1 telt el ha 'i il i a 'no iiori t r f i d n E 'stantially Z-shape" with a" marginal portion j 1 new Promotin eyond he i lqd f r ximate thereto and iolded back 'with'the'edge portion of 'themarginal portion lyin'g petween the fold-plies; aplurality of straightaway stitches rmed-in aid r jec n m r in por o 96- vals, (spaced 'py'said straightawaystitches} latsidea id' P r llel sa f dgt and at i e'ral stitches exten in th fq h aid "file-e e P r a d mar i al portiee t a h the "fold-edge 0 Sa d marginal portion and to secure'said edge portionbetween said fold-plies. 4!) -z= ahemme a t e c pr g ng e be rmeterialhaying'a-portion thereoi folded into sub- 7 tam a sc z-sha w h a mar n l p9 here f of projecting beyond theffold-edge proximate 1 theretw t i rvi strakhtewmzefitt qrmed' niflfl r ig i mar a g rtien: Pi

side and parallel to said'fold-edge, and at intervals, spaced by' said straightaway stitches, lateral stitches extending through said fold-edge and. said marginal portion to anchor the 'foldedgeto the marginal portion.

. i3: The method bf fi of'said'margin between the fold-plies; forming a straightaway row of stitches in said margin adjacentsaid?fold -edge; at intervals, spaced bya plifrality of saidstitches, forming lateral stitches anchoring said fold-edge to said margin and fijnally tiirnin'g the-folded portion through 180 T degrees'ahout ;s'aid"fold-edge thereby to position [one ply 'offthe-folded portion in a substantially coplanar relation with the body of said sheet ma- 4. The method of making a stitched hem, comprisin fOlding'a sheet material in'to 'a fiat-Z- shape with the margin of the folded -'poftion extending beyond the fold-edge proximate were to; forming a straightaway row of stitches ins'aid margin adjacent said'fold-edg e; atiintervals,

spaced by'a plurality of said s titches, for righteralstitohes' anchoring "said fold-edgeo said margin" and finally turning the folded portion through 180 degrees about-saidfold-ed'ge thereby 'to'position one ply of the folded portioii iri a'substantially' copl'anar relation with the bod P sh ma erial." it i a REFERENCES ci'riz n V The following references are of record in the file Qfthis atent: UN IED s'rAIEs Number Name Date 7 1 42 392 M q'o "Aug. -22-'," 1922 2,437,976 Seaman v Mar. 16,1948 F E QW IE T Number Country Date 476,194 V Germany May:14,"1929 I astitched hem, com prising, folding "a' sheet=material i'ntoa flat 2- v shape with the margin of the folded portion extending beyond the fold-edge proximate thereto and-infolding said marginto position the edge 

